Source: All set for tobacco selling season – herald
Precious Manomano and Theseus Shambare
Tobacco auction floors are set to open for the upcoming marketing season next Wednesday, with contract floors opening the following day.
Trolleys lined up on the floors are ready to receive tobacco bales, and several are already positioned at the Tobacco Sales Floor in anticipation of the start of sales.
During a visit to all three auction floors yesterday, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness observed. He expects a significant number of farmers to deliver their crop this season.
“We are just inspecting the floors ahead of next week’s opening. They will open on Wednesday, the 4th of March.
“We are assessing the state of preparedness, as we anticipate thousands of farmers to be in and out of the floors around the clock. The floors never close until the season ends,” he said.
Deputy Minister Haritatos highlighted a 15 percent increase in the hectares planted, totalling approximately 164 500 hectares, with a particular focus on expanding the irrigated portion. He is optimistic about both the size and the quality of the crop.
“What we have seen out there is very, very encouraging… we want more than that. Our target is 500 million kilogrammes (by 2030), so we are well within that,” he stated.
This year’s tobacco is expected to be of top quality, meeting the growing global demand for premium products.
Deputy Minister Haritatos also noted that farmers will receive their payments promptly, improving operational efficiency.
“Our lives as farmers are always busy; the less time we spend waiting for payments, the better,” he added.
Government aims to build a US$7 billion tobacco industry by 2030, with a strong focus on value addition and beneficiation.
“We need to ensure that value addition is at the heart of any tobacco production in our country, so that our people can benefit from the industry,” he said.
Premier Tobacco Auction Floor chairman, Mr Owen Murumbi, confirmed their readiness and assured farmers of good prices and timely payments.
“As for Premier, all our ducks are lined up. Our computers have been inspected and are compliant. We have secured 150 000 ascent bags and trucks to ferry tobacco from rural areas,” he noted.
Ethical Sales Floor general manager, Mr Taison Ngongoni, added that they have integrated with several banks to ensure efficient payment systems.
“Our farmers are expected to get payments in less than an hour. This floor can accommodate 7 000 bales. We are almost 100 percent prepared,” he said.
TIMB board chair, Mr Patrick Devenish, projected a total yield of 400 million kilogrammes, though he noted some variability due to weather conditions. He advised farmers to handle tobacco carefully and ensure it is well conditioned for sale.
“We have introduced biometrics to prevent side marketing, which has made a significant difference,” he explained.
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